(~s, ~ing, ~ed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
If you ~ a number of things, you bring them together from several places or from several people.
Two young girls were ~ing firewood...
1.5 million signatures have been ~ed.
= gather
VERB: V n, V n
2.
If you ~ things, such as stamps or books, as a hobby, you get a large number of them over a period of time because they interest you.
One of Tony’s hobbies was ~ing rare birds.
VERB: V n
~ing
...hobbies like stamp ~ing and fishing.
N-UNCOUNT: with supp, oft n N
3.
When you ~ someone or something, you go and get them from the place where they are waiting for you or have been left for you. (BRIT; in AM, usually use pick up )
David always ~s Alistair from school on Wednesdays...
After ~ing the cash, the kidnapper made his escape down the disused railway line.
= pick up
VERB: V n from n, V n
4.
If a substance ~s somewhere, or if something ~s it, it keeps arriving over a period of time and is held in that place or thing.
Methane gas does ~ in the mines around here.
...water tanks which ~ rainwater from the house roof.
VERB: V prep/adv, V n, also V
5.
If something ~s light, energy, or heat, it attracts it.
Like a telescope it has a curved mirror to ~ the sunlight.
VERB: V n
6.
If you ~ for a charity or for a present for someone, you ask people to give you money for it.
Are you ~ing for charity?...
They ~ed donations for a fund to help military families.
VERB: V for n, V n for n, also V n
7.
If you ~ yourself or ~ your thoughts, you make an effort to calm yourself or prepare yourself mentally.
She paused for a moment to ~ herself...
He was grateful for a chance to relax and ~ his thoughts.
= compose
VERB: V pron-refl, V n
8.
A ~ call is a telephone call that is paid for by the person receiving it, not the person making it. (AM)
She received a ~ phone call from Alaska.
ADJ: ADJ n
•
If you call ~ when you make a telephone call, the person who you are phoning pays the cost of the call and not you.
Should you lose your ticket call ~ on STA’s helpline.
PHRASE: V inflects